The invention relates to a settable resistor having a resistance path array to which is allocated a contact piece, the two being adjustable relative to one another in the longitudinal direction of the resistance path array, and having an adjusting device, particularly for use hand switches of power tools. In a known settable resistor in a hand switch for a power tool with integral speed control (U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,704), a simple resistance path is provided on a substrate supporting further electrical components, and runs in the longitudinal direction parallel to a slide to which is attached a contact piece fitted in sliding fashion on the resistance path. The slide is also connected to a switch in the circuit of the electrical control array and mechanically connected to a trigger to be actuated manually. In the trigger is a setting wheel having a threaded rod and being associated with a stop slide which is moved in the axial direction of the slide by turning the setting wheel and thereby limiting the displacement travel of the slide and thus of the contact piece in the manner of an adjusting device. The contact piece slides at the same time on a conducting path running parallel to the resistance path. With this construction, the resistance value picked up at the resistance path and affecting, for example, the speed of a drive motor controlled by the control circuit, is solely dependent on the displacement travel of the slide and thereby on the position of the contact piece in the longitudinal direction of the resistance path. The adjustment travel of the slide depends here on the setting of the adjusting device and is limited to a relatively small section of the overall displacement travel when only correspondingly low speeds are to be achieved with the slide pressed all the way in. Intermediate values of the resistance or speed are therefore only settable within the correspondingly shortened overall displacement travel.